The High Church of Messiah-as-Emperox
The High Church of Messiah-as-Emperor is the official religion of the Empire. Having emerged as an amalgamation of the old Earthly religions (now called Primal Religions), the High Church is interwoven with the nobility and embedded deeply as the primary faith of Imperial civilization. It controls, manages, and facilitates every aspect of spiritual life. Doctrine The High Church of Messiah-as-Emperor believes that the Emperor is a recurring reincarnation or eternal visitation of heaven's will in reality. The central directive of the Church is to maintain the sanctity of the Imperial throne and assist the Emperor in guiding his subjects on the path of the Ten Holy Virtues. The Church’s established positions include anti-alien, anti-synthetic, and pro-nobility principles. The Ten Holy Virtues # Faith - ''“Faith above all. We must trust God and their chosen Emperor to guide us.” Faith is exemplified by daily prayer, regular attendance of Church ceremonies, dutiful tithing, and pilgrimage to holy sites. # '''Propriety - '"We must be obedient to tradition, ceremony, courtesy and station." ''Propriety is exemplified by respectful loyalty to righteous authority and cultural norms, along with unfailing intolerance for all heretics and heathens. Custom, dress, and technology all must adhere to Propriety. # '''Justice - '"We must reward those who behave rightly and punish those who do not." ''Justice is exemplified by its unflinching enforcement, and we must correct our own failings before looking to those of others. # '''Fortitude - '"We must patiently endure the challenges laid upon us and follow the rightful path despite them." ''Fortitude is exemplified by steadfast courage and endurance in the face of adversity, particularly in avoiding all cringing or complaint when upon holy ground or fulfilling holy duties. # '''Wisdom - '"We must strive to see the world in its truth and shape it according to God’s will." ''Wisdom is exemplified by perceived the flawed world as it is, but never losing sight of what it should be. Daily reflection upon the sacred texts and their application to our lives is essential to Wisdom. # '''Temperance - '"We must show prudent moderation and diligent control over our desires." ''Temperance is exemplified by self-restraint in all facets, particularly regular fasting and avoidance of intoxicants. # '''Diligence - '"We must be ever persistent and expend all effort and attention in keeping ourselves and others to the true path." ''Diligence is exemplified by constant, tireless vigilance against temptation and treachery in all aspects of life. # '''Charity - '"We must show compassion to those worthy of God’s mercy." ''Charity is exemplified by philanthropic acts and outreach to faithful sufferers. # '''Integrity - '"We must honor our oaths and uphold the truth." ''Integrity is exemplified by unfailing honesty and the exposure of deviants, as well as regular confession of our failings. # '''Hope - '"We must never despair, no matter how dark the hour, as God shines their light upon us." ''Hope is exemplified by the conquest of despair, symbolized most prominently by the restriction of mourning to a designated period, as well as the teaching of the Virtues to the ignorant. The Imperial Succession Beyond its the spiritual duties, the High Church will play a critical role in this current time of trouble. If a new Emperor is not chosen by the end of this year,, the High Exarch shall become Steward and Regent of the Empire, ruling by the grace of God and their Virtues. While the Church shall strive to ensure a stable succession, they must also ensure that any successor is truly worthy of the throne. Organisation Hierarchy The High Church is led by the High Exarch who is supported and advised by the Council of Exarchs. Below that there are 10 branches, each led by one Exarch. Each of the branches has a particular duty to the church and most have their own supporting doctrine. Below the Exarchs are Abbots and High Priests. The High Priests can be from any sect of the High Church, and are the head of the High Church on their respective planet. They usually preside over a church in the planetary capital, and coordinate all High Church led events on the planet. The duty of the Abbots is to lead religious services for the nobility, and provide spiritual counsel to the heads of houses. Alongside the High Priest there are High Inquisitors and Hierophants in service of the branches. The former being the executive arm of the church, while the later are the theological scholars. Branches # [[High Order|'High Order']]' - Bureaucracy and central administration of the High Church. # [[Guardians|'''Guardians]]' - '''Protectors of humanity and the faith. # [[Crusaders|'Crusaders']]' - Military branch and fleet. # [[Orthodoxy|'''Orthodoxy]]' - '''Followers of the Scripture as written. # [[Masoodites|'Masoodites']]' - Believe that the first High Exarch is the true Prophet. # [[Conservatives|'''Conservatives]]' - '''Followers of old dogma with ever new interpretations. # [[Reformists|'Reformists']]' - Take a practical view on Doctrine and Faith. # [[Karmists|'''Karmists]]' - '''Believe in a cycle of rebirth which ends in your soul merging with the Emperor's. # [[Observers|'Observers']]' - Watchers and guides who try to interfere as little as possible. # [[Purists|'''Purists]]' - '''Concerned with the purity of humanity in the face of aliens, synths and other threats. Relation to other Factions Pending Additional Information The Symbol of the Church The traditional symbol of the High Church is a decagram surrounding an image of a throne, representing the Ten Virtues and the Emperor. However, in consultation with outside “branding” experts, the Church has adopted a new sigil to demonstrate its renewed and enduring commitment to bring the people of Acheron Rho reassurance in these uncertain times. The new sigil uses a tau cross in the shape of a human created from a womb, a celebration of the birth cycle. This emphasis on renewal and new beginning shows our trust and expectation in the ascendancy of a new Emperor. As the nine months of gestation align with the Ten Holy Virtues - birth itself being the tenth virtue of Hope - so too does the tau cross (humanity) and its intersection with the central perfect circle (God) consist of ten points. The background pattern symbolizes the Church’s authority and dedication, with four quadrants and four axes combining with the cross and circle to also reach the holy 10. The Holy Planet of Andophael Andophael is the holy planet where the High Council of Exarchs meets to decide upon the direction of the High Church. It is a frozen ice world of several million inhabitants that serves as a pilgrimage for the faithful across the sector. Much of the architecture on Andophael consists of intricate ice sculpture, including colossal statues representing the 10 virtues along with past leaders and champions of the Church. A stone and ice walkway called the Path of Virtue winds for miles before ultimately coming to the Grand Temple itself, which stands in a massive crater with no other building for many miles around it. The Grand Temple, which itself is walled and roofed with perfect blocks of engineered and reinforced ice, stands atop an expansive subterranean complex wherein most of the clergy live and work. The central corridor is lined with large statues of the past Emperors, with many empty plinths awaiting those of the future. Andophael has four moons: * '''Staconago:' The largest moon has mild volcanic activity that makes its climate an excellent temperate habitat. It supports a large civilian population, many of whom commute to Andophael. * Thale: This moon in many way resembles what the Ancient Records tell us of the moon Titan in the Terran system. The thick methane atmosphere makes habitation on the surface impossible and visibility is limited to a few paces. This did not stop the Crusaders of the High Church, who took this place as their own and built the giant dome city of Drepanum. This is where the Crusaders are seated and where they live and train when on active duty. It is the only mark of civilization on the moon along with the spaceport. * Satira Pala: '''This minor body orbits Sig in the L2 Lagrange-point of Andophael, meaning it is very close to Androphael and orbits Sig in exactly the same amount of time. Satira Pala is unique in that it always remains within the umbra of Androphael, never seeing sunlight. This has made it a perfect place for the Inquisitorial Crucible, which is the last year of their training. The moon is used for little else. * '''Tisoan: A seismically unstable frozen wasteland, with large sheets of ice shifting under tidal interactions and the ejecta spewing out of ice-volcanoes easily reaching escape velocities due to the nearly non-existent atmosphere. Frequent ice-storms plague the surface. Tisoan is essentially an extreme reflection of Andophael itself, and only the most devout pilgrims and the toughest of Aquilan Legionnaires make the pilgrimage on this moon. External Links *Official High Church Website *Grand Voice's Twitter Category:Factions